Gallery: Teens Against Gangs Poster contest

The Vancouver Sun04.20.2010

My name is Junichi Swope. I'm 16 years old, in grade 11, and go to Dr. Charles Best Secondary.
The recent increase in gang violence in the tri-cities inspired this poster.
My poster is a warning to people who are thinking about joining a gang.
I want to leave the poster up to peoples' imagination, whether they want to identify with being the person pulling the trigger, or the person about to get killed. Neither scenario is ideal, and very well could happen if one joins a gang.Junichi Swope
/ Special to the Sun

Hello, my name is Desiree. I am 16 years old in grade 11. I go to Maple Ridge Secondary School (MRSS).
What inspired me to make this poster was the chance I got to help others my age before they do something they regret, so without hesitation, I decided to enter this contest. The recent increase in gang and the violence and crimes that come along with them is getting extreme. These young people are joining gangs which believe will keep them protected, give them money and help with their needs. It's far from it. Our young people are being slaughtered left and right on the streets. Someone needs to inform what they don’t know about these senseless groups and who better then people their own age to spread the word.
This poster is about the "game" between the police and gangs. In addition, the game between each gang. Someone will always get you, if it's either the law or another gang. The man dead on the ground has been shot (“Tagged") by the police. The police car lights emphasize the phrase "Tag, you're it", to illustrate he has been caught. I used an appealing slogan so young teens will remember it and associate gangs as a game you will NEVER win at, so don't play. The opaque letters behind TAG say what a gang is and what the outcome will be. TAG is covering that phrase to show kids that we need to stop and help them from choosing the incorrect path in life; we need to overpower the immoral in life and open their eyes. This poster in general means young men and women need to think about what they are getting their selves into, because once you join this game... you can't turn away and without saying, will lose. We don’t want to lose our loved ones to something they should’ve known before they made the descion of a lifetime.Desiree Johnston
/ Special to the Sun

Hey, I'm Trevor Molag, I'm 17, in grade 11 and I go to Argyle Secondary in North Vancouver.
The tagline of the poster is "say no to thugs", a reference to the "say no to drugs" slogan.
I chose the "say no to thugs" tagline because while it's a slightly humorous play on words sparking initial interest, it's also got a background sort of message linking gangs with drugs. I feel, as a high school student, that the "say no to drugs" campaign was incredibly cheesey, and the word "thugs" to me is equally old fashioned, but less cheesey because unfortunately it has been glorified. Not too many people use it, and for that reason it still has some originality. The blurb underneath it, stating "Gang violence hurts, become a part of the movement to stop it." Solidifies the message that "there is a movement" to students who have been drawn in by the tagline.
I think the poster will have in impact on high school students because it has a lot of white space, so on a crowded bulletin board it will stand out a little more. The silhouetted gang is an eye catcher, and the tagline will definately draw more attention to the main message below. The color of the text will pop the poster out even more, but it's not so vibrant that it kills the message. Seeing this poster on a school wall should make students pay attention to the message.Trevor Molag
/ Special to the Sun

My name is David Kim. I am 17 years old and currently attend Point Grey Secondary as a grade 11, What inspired me to this poster is that somehow I could have a chance to help a struggling person that is thinking about joining a gang. While portraying the dangers of gangs by having a image of a gun and the three negative words, my main goal is get people thinking. Is it really worth it?
The one thing i wanted to with this poster is really get the peoples attention. Nobody is going to read a paragraph about gang violence so I chose to highlight 3 words followed by a statement which says, "Is joining a gang really worth it? I don't think so." After people get the imagery of the three words, I simply ask a question where it might get a person who is interested in joining a gang get thinking. Is it really worth it?
Overall, the mood and colors of the poster are dark. I have a stock image of gun at the bottom indicating the violence and death gangs go through. As for the typography, I wanted it to be very eligible from a distance so I put in extra detail there. I think this poster portrays its message well and I hope it impresses you guys.David Kim
/ Special to the Sun

Hello, my name is Russell Rosenburg. I'm in grade 9 at Mount Slesse Middle School in Chilliwack and I'm 14 years old.
My inspiration for this poster is that I love to work on the computer and create projects. This was a great opportunity to create a poster for Teens Against Gangs.
My poster has a simple message which highlights the child's game, "Hide and Seek". However, there is nothing innocent about this message. Gangsters always HIDE from the law while police SEEK them. Eventually, the gangsters will be arrested and time in jail behind the bars is often the end result. My hope is that the photo of a gangster behind the bars will discourage anyone from becoming a member of a gang.Russell Rosenburg
/ Special to the Sun

Michael Huang, an 18-year-old Langley Fundamental Middle and Secondary School student currently in grade 12.
I first saw this contest in my history class when I walked pass it. The theme "Teens Against Gangs"appealed to me a lot because of the shooting incidents and the gang violences which occured last year in the lower main land. I thought that by entering the contest maybe I could change the world a little bit by conveying teens the message of anti-gangsterism.
My poster describes a savage shooting scene that killed innocences who got involved in the middle of the fight. The struggling hand in the centre of the poster demonstrates the pain we feel as an oridnary person. The two caution lines also suggest a warning to not be involved with violence and gangs. On the right hand side of my poster shows a gang member busted for serious crime. The person is desperate and feels terrible for what he had done. The black and white strips also suggest the jail. On the bottomof the poster I put the slogan "there is a better way to enjoy life," conveying the message to teens who like thrills or who were misled that gangsterism isn't some kind of fun game, but a dangerous crime which will cause you serious consquences and eventually ruins your life. Stop the crime and become anti-gangsterism.Michael Huang
/ Special to the Sun

I'm Candice; fourteen years young and in ninth grade. I attend Lord Byng Secondary's mini arts program for the Visual Arts.
When people hear the word 'gangs', they think about violence. When people hear the word 'violence', they think about guns. The barrel of the gun is such a significant and recognizable symbol of crime, fear and war. I wanted a picture that was familiar with everyone; a cold, rusty barrel of a gun has been depicted in all types of media.
The vision of gangs today is just one big stereotype. If you're in a gang, you're promised protection and loyalty. You'll die a legend and the other members will become the family you never had. But most of all, gangs "got your back". That phrase is sharp and directly to the point. It's what inspired the entire poster; from the fonts to the colours used. Words just say it all.
Shelter. They said they'd keep you alive. No more hiding. You can walk the streets unafraid, without the ache of fear weighing you down.
Weapons, drugs, money, friends. It will all be yours, soon, they promised, it would all be yours.
But you're living your life all in black and white, always on the lookout for the next fight,
Is this what you yearned? For a life behind bars, will you ever learn?
That living on the streets is not what you wanted, your past, present, future forever haunted.
The ice barrel of the gun on the side of your head, or the friends who "got your back" but ran away instead.
This is what I'm trying to prevent, spreading an important message is time well spent.Candice Yee
/ Special to the Sun

My name is Chan Kwon. I am 15 years old, in grade 10, and I attend Walnut Grove Secondary School in Langley. What inspired me to make the poster was the fact that more and more teens are joining gangs and getting into drug activity. It is disturbing to me that people my age are joining the dangerous gang lifestyle. Most of these teens have troublesome lives such as problems fitting in at school or family issues. This leads them to take measures like joining gangs to solve or get away from these issues. They may join gangs to look "cool", fit in, and get attention. What is also startling to me is that some teens join gangs for fun. I wanted to convey a message to teens considering gangs as an option from a another teen's point of view. This poster gives me a great opportunity to possibly convey my message to teens all over BC.
My poster is about the consequence a teen may face by joining a gang. I tried to make my poster the most eye catching, but simple as possible. I wanted the poster to be dark and serious, as the subject of teens joining gangs is, so I used a dark gray theme. The central focus is a person holding a gun up towards "you". The top caption explains that by joining gangs, a sight of a gun pointed at you could be the last thing you see alive. The main slogan is "It's Not Worth IT". This means that joining gangs is not worth the life you already have. The world "IT" is emphasized to represent the many reasons teen join gangs. Some of these reasons are scattered behind the word. The main message I wanted to convey is: It is not worth the "perks" and benefits a gang lifestyle appears to have. Problems in life can be solved in other ways than sacrificing your life for sex, drugs, and violence. I made this message into a concise slogan "It's Not Worth It."Chan Kwon
/ Special to the Sun

My name is Jemma, I am a 17 year old girl. Currently I am in grade 11 at correlieu senior school in the small town of Quesnel B.C. My art teacher told me about the Teens against Gangs project, and being a teenager, I felt the need to contribute. I did my best to create a poster to make people stop, understand and act. I started to do some homework on Gangs in Vancouver and I found a list of people killed in gang related (or suspected) insidents in vancouver in 2009 (which is included in my poster). The list was long and grusome. If you can fight in any way possible on the side of a cause that could possible save lives, go for it.
There are 3 sections to my poster. It took a while to determine what kind of message I want to tell, ask or state. I decided on a "asking" title, (Gangs,Is it worth it?) ultimately leaving the choice to the person reading. The main picture I drew, the girl crying, is based on a picture I found on the internet. I was looking for a anguished indevidual, preferrably with tears. When I saw the picture I knew it was the one I wanted. I drew it, with alterations, on paper and took a picture of it. Finally the list in the background of the gang related deaths. This is the most important thing on the poster because it is real. I wanted something that was going to tip the boat over the eadge, so to speak. I think that if people read the sub text they will understand the unmovable truths of participating in gangs. I put it all together on photoshop.Jemma Reeves
/ Special to the Sun

My name is William Zhou. As a grade 12 student in Point Grey Secondary, I recently participated in a sister school exchange where students from Point Grey Secondary exchange with students in Killarney Secondary. During one of our discussions with our sister school students, we talked about how each of the schools differ. It was interesting to learn that there were more gang related problems for them than for us. This inspired me to design a poster for Teens Against Gangs.
I try to strive simplicity in my designs. When students, or anyone for that matter, walk across the hall to see the poster, they will only have at maximum five seconds to read a poster. Therefore, I want to get my message across as fast as I can. The result is a one sentence "say 'NO' to gang violence. In the background and toward the bottom left, the poster shows a gang member with a bat. The message I wanted to send is that teens would not want to end up like that.William Zhou
/ Special to the Sun

My name is Charmaine Gail Miflores. I'm 16 years old. I'm currently in grade 10 in Johnston Heights Secondary.
This poster was inspired by how many people die through gangs. They might be part of the gangs or just victims. Whoever they are, I just know that too many people have suffered.
My poster is about the deaths caused by gang life and the violence involved with it. There was this man that came to my elementary school to talk about gangs. He told us that throughout his life, about 45 of his loved ones have died or been killed through gang violence. I think this number is just too high to gamble for an easy ticket to a "rich and blissful lifestyle". So, on my poster I wanted to catch the gist and tribulation of gang life and violence. Also, I wanted it to be simple and thorough. This why I chose a picture of a gravesite. Then, I decided to put it in black and white. I also darkened it and made it gloomy. For the slogan, I put "Too Many Lives Lost" because it's true and no sweeter way to say it. I also put, "don't get into gang violence!". That is the story behind my anti-gang poster.Charmaine Gail Miflores
/ Special to the Sun

My name is Lauren Kyle, age 15, attending Dr. Charles Best Secondary as a grade ten student. When I first thought of gangs, I recalled a time in my socials class where we all had to read a newspaper clipping. I read about the gang shootings and then led a class disscussion on the affects that gang activity has on the family and close relationships of the individual. In the newspaper, women, who had no apparent direct gang relations were being shot, and my heart felt for them. So I decided to design my poster about how everyone is affected by gangs.
People frequently think of the problems associated with the people directly in gangs; however, family, friends, girlfriends, can all be affected by this serious problem. Before someone gets involved with gang related activity, they have to understand that the way out is long and hard and everyone gets tangled. In my poster the thorns represent the "trap" that gangs can be and the helpless hands are those hurt by family members or friends in gangs. The phrase,"everyone gets tangled" is a play on words. (tangled in thorns, and tangled in the dark buisness of gangs)Lauren Kyle
/ Special to the Sun

My name is ByeongSung Lee and 19 years old.
I'm currently grade 12 and attending R.E. Mountain Secondary School in Langley.
Movies and stories inspire the poster.
I used oil painting on a 28.5 X 22.5 inc paper.
The theme of my poster is "It is easy to get in, but hard to get out." I saw some gangster movies, and gangsters kill or harm people who want to leave the gang. Some gangster group requires to cut one's finger when he/she leaves the gang. Also revenge olny brings death.
I tried to paint gangeters who are ready to harm other gangs who want to leave.
The message from my poster is gangsters may welcome you when you join them. However,when you want to leave, they will not let you leave. you should take a responsibility for joining gangs.ByeongSung Lee
/ Special to the Sun

I'm 14, in gr 9, I go to Dr. Charles Best secondary. I guess i made the poster because I I think people are really stupid to join gangs, there dangerous and it gets you into all sorts of bad things, and i'm kinda hoping that some kids going to see my poster and think twice about joining a gang. Plus I kinda wanted a ipad :p
It's about how people think it's cool to join gangs and they think that they'll belong. On the poster I say you won't look cool with a bullet in your head, which means that yes, you might find the felling of belonging but is risking your life really worth it or should you find some new friends.Sarah Russell
/ Special to the Sun

My name is Ashley Luk. I am 16 years old, in grade 11 and attend Magee Secondary School. My love for art is what inspired me to make this poster. This is my original artwork design and I wanted to use my artwork as my voice to help send a positive message, which is to “Make the right choice”. Gangs are the wrong choice. More and more people are falling victim to the violence that these gangs create. It is up to us, the youth of today, to make a change.
My poster is about sending a positive message to today’s teens. The teenager in my poster represents teenagers today and how we all have choices and decisions to make. These choices we make affect us all, whether they are the right ones or the wrong ones. We, as teenagers, need to make the right choice. Through family, community, and school, we can all help each other to become better individuals and stay away from the negative influences of gangs. Before I graduate from high school, I want to help make a difference and encourage teenagers to make the right choice. I will be able to do that with my poster.Ashley Luk
/ Special to the Sun

Akash Chand, 15, L.A. Matheson.Akash Chand
/ Special to The Sun

John Yang, Grade 9, Seaquam Secondary. I was inspired to draw this poster because of the reality of gangs and how it affects everyone. In the newspapers, or on the radio, people hear about gang-related deaths and innocent bystanders being injured or even killed. But if teens stopped joining gangs and instead opposed them, gangs would eventually lose their power and shrink in size. This would make gangs easier to take care of, or the gang could just disband due to lack of personnel to run gang activities. The youth are the future of the world, but gangs just use those youth to continue THEIR own future.
I wanted to keep everything general, as to show ALL the dangers in a gang. The cards represent a bad hand, hence the odds. The suits represent what gang members have to deal with (I'll let the viewer's imagination to think of the other two suits). Also, when teens joins a gang, they usually commit to the gang until death. If they don't join a gang, they have 70 years to live their own life. 70 years is based on average life expectancy, though I'm being too generous. All these aspects puts the idea of the poster into a general range.Gang members may handle different gang-related activities, or they may die differently, etc.... But the poster isn't supposed to force teens to say "no". Once teens make their own choice and their own reason not to join, they will be satisfied with their own choice and live a life thinking "I made the right choice by not joining that gang".John Yang
/ Special to the Sun

Hi my name is Brenton Tromp. I am in grade 12 at Credo Christian High School. I was inspired to do this because I live in Chilliwack and see the effect of gangs on kids I grew up with. growing up some of the kids I grew up with turned to gangs. These were great kids. Very fun and were friendly. But gangs destroyed their lives. I feel bad about this but know its their fault. Gangs are bad and are violent and will destroy your life.Brenton Tromp
/ Special to The Sun

Ajong Kuot, age of 18 in grade 12. this poster inspire the young people , teens who are involve in gangs.Ajong Kuot
/ Special to The Sun

Janeanne Aikema, 18 years old, Grade 12, Credo Christian High School I was inspired to make this poster because I want to show teens out there that gangs are not the way to go. Gangs go against the way of normal life for
teenagers.Janeanne Aikema
/ Special to The Sun

Caitlin Jansen, age 18, Grade 12, Credo Christian High School.Caitlin Jansen
/ Special to The Sun

Raymond Schouten, 17 years old in Grade 12 and goes to Credo Christian High school. my inspiration was to say that the gang life was very dangerous and not worth joiningRaymond Schouten
/ Special to The Sun

My name is Daniel Ediger and I go to Abbotsford Traditional Secondary School. I am 14 years old. What inspired me to make this poster was reading about how gangsters are trapped in their lifestyle.Handout
/ TAG contest

My name is Delaram Fathi, I am 16 years old, in grade 11, and am currently attending Riverside Secondary School in Port Coquitlam. What inspired me to do this poster was the recently increase in gang violence and how disturbing it is hearing about someone my age who has been a victim of gangs or even the suspect. Also the "tear tattoo" inspired me because many gang members have them. They represent how many lives that particular person has taken.Delaram Fathi
/ Special to The Sun

My name is Mae Abara and I am a 9th grader that goes to Matthew Mcnair Secondary School in Richmond. While in my InfoTech class, our teacher mentioned this poster contest and thought that it would be a good time-killer for those who finished early. With nothing to lose, I started designing this poster.Mae Abara
/ Special to the Sun

I am Kate Regala and I am 15 years old. I am a grade 10 student of New Westminster Secondary School.What inspired this poster is the thought of life being compared to a video game. We all have that one goal in life, something we need, something we want but there is never really an easy way to get there. Along the way, there are a lot of temptations to resist, obstacles to face, pressure to deal with and choices to make. But we should also keep in mind that they are not supposed to paralyze us but help us discover who we really are. Just like a game, time won't be on your side and sometimes one mistake can ruin it all. You have to be careful with every decision and be ready to face the consequences. Some teens may think that joining a gang is somewhat like being a part of a family wherein you will always stick together no matter what. Seldom do we consider the part in which joining a gang is like destroying your life as well. It may make someone seem tough but the truth is, real courage is not just to overcome danger, misfortune and fear. It is to overcome anything that passes by our life the right way. The difference though, is that you can play a video game over and over again until you are the best in it but life has no replays and you can't go back. There is no reset or pause button but what you do and how you do it is up to you. You can go play a game a million times and make it perfect but you only live life once, so don't waste it.This poster shows how life is like a game that we play, we control it. We make our own choices and are responsible for them. A well-known character in a video game, Mario represents each one of us and how we all, at some point in time are to make a choice which can be critical to the outcome of our lives. The steps on the top half of the screen show what it would be like if we stayed away from temptations like joining a gang and doing the right thing. The steps on the bottom half of the screen show how we would be burKate Regala
/ Special to The Sun

Gallery: Teens Against Gangs Poster contest

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